# Briar review (2026): is it any good? > Serverless encrypted messaging that syncs over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Briar is a free, open-source messaging app built for activists and journalists. It has no central server: messages sync directly between devices over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and are stored on each device. It offers private messages, forums and blogs. The project says it is in maintenance mode. - **Category:** Team Communication - **Made by:** The Briar Project - **Website:** https://briarproject.org - **Runs on:** Android, Windows, macOS, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you use an iPhone, as there is no iOS app. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Briar is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Free and open source. No paid plans; the project accepts donations and grants. | Read from https://briarproject.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Briar before buying. ## Key features - **No central server:** Messages are synchronized directly between users' devices, so there is no server to block or take down. - **Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sync:** With internet, Briar syncs over Tor. Without it, devices can sync over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or memory cards. - **Private messages, forums and blogs:** Besides one-to-one chat, it offers public forums and blogs, and desktop releases added private groups. - **Local storage:** Messages and the contact list are stored encrypted on the user's own device, not in a cloud. - **Briar Mailbox:** A mailbox delivers messages for people who are online at different times. ## Good for - Activists and journalists needing censorship-resistant messaging - Groups that must keep talking during internet blackouts - Users who want data to stay on their own devices ## Worth knowing - In July 2026 the team said Briar is in maintenance mode: only essential security updates and bug fixes. - The team lists missing features such as account backup and file attachments, plus high battery use on Android. - Briar Desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux is labeled beta; the mobile app is Android only, with no iOS version. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Briar syncs messages straight between devices over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so there is no server to block. But the team says it is in maintenance mode, with no account backup, no file attachments and heavy battery use on Android. If you need an iPhone app or a tool that is still gaining features, look elsewhere. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source with no paid plan, a program anyone can download. Donations only. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free for good, no account, no ads, nothing locked behind a payment. - **Features: C.** Private chats, forums and blogs, which covers the basics. The team's own list of gaps includes no account backup and no attachments, and it is in maintenance mode. - **Ease of use: C.** No rating on record. You add each contact in person or by link, and the desktop version is still labelled beta. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Android plus Windows, Mac and Linux desktop (beta). No iPhone version, no web version and no integrations. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from The Briar Project's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among team communication apps - Briar's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 6. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 60 of 75) and worst on features (C, above 1). - Briar has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/team-chat ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Briar is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade. - You could not: Chat that a whole team counts on staying up. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android that stay in step with each other. - You could not: End-to-end encryption done properly. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Team chat, Open source, End-to-end encrypted, Works offline, Local-first ## Alternatives - [Jami](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jami): Peer-to-peer encrypted chat, calls and video conferences. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/briar-vs-jami) - [Signal](https://toolgpa.com/tools/signal): Nonprofit messenger with end-to-end encrypted chats and calls. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/briar-vs-signal) - [Matrix](https://toolgpa.com/tools/matrix): Open, decentralized network for chat and calls. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/briar-vs-matrix) - [SimpleX Chat](https://toolgpa.com/tools/simplex-chat): Private messenger that uses no user identifiers at all. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/briar-vs-simplex-chat) - [Delta Chat](https://toolgpa.com/tools/delta-chat): Free decentralized messenger with end-to-end encryption. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/briar-vs-delta-chat) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://briarproject.org - https://briarproject.org/how-it-works/ - https://briarproject.org/download-briar/ - https://briarproject.org/download-briar-desktop/ - https://briarproject.org/news/2026-maintenance-mode/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/briar Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).